The Benefits

The benefits of making your child do stuff, is that you get to work on stuff yourself.

Hubby tells me, from time to time, I enjoy learning and perfecting a little too much. It is true. I love being good at things. Studying in college? I am going to make Dean's List. Don't talk to me. I am studying, I must make Dean's List. Then I am going to double major. Making cupcakes? I am going to work at it until it tastes like ones from Magnolia Bakery. Even if it kills me. Sure, I give up on things, from time to time. For instance, making beef stew like Thomas Keller? Nope, can't do it, too many steps. I will just eat at Bouchon instead.

Mostly, I want to be good at the task at hand.

When we went skiing, even though it was only the third time I strapped on hard plastic shells on my lower limbs, I was determined to get better. I was admiring those skiers coming down black diamonds and making plans. "I am going to keep taking lessons until I can ski down those slopes. Even if it costs me thousands of dollars in ski lessons, I don't care. I am going to good at this." (Then I had to throw myself down a blue slope, and changed my mind. The new task is, "I am going to ski down the blue slopes, and I am going to throw money at this problem until I master it.)

Aidan and Zoe are doing ice skating. Aidan CANNOT wait to do the ice hockey league- I am fully supportive, but am holding on to the chair a bit, since this is a traveling league, and the rink time is often at 5 am. (It really requires sacrifice from the parental units for kids to be exposed to different activities, and to be good at it. And it is just work. Hard. Work. That's right, I am patting myself on the back. I do all this hard work.) Zoe wants to skate to keep up with Aidan, and she is admiring all these other girls doing jumps and spins.

I went skating with Aidan on Monday. It was really fun! I got better at it. I could 'push and glide', and by the end of the hour, I was keeping up with Aidan! The next thing I am going to do is crossing over, then skating backwards, then, jumps. I can take lessons, just like my kids. Won't that be so awesome?!

Then I am going to take swimming lessons, until I can swim the butterfly and form my own synchronized swimming team.

Then I am going to take piano lessons, until I win some competition to play a concerto with some orchestra.

Then I am going to take voice lessons, and win an audition to sing with the Met.

For the finale, I am going to skate backwards, while singing, then jumping over the wall, to play my own music, and then flinging myself into the pool to do some synchronized swimming. Admit it, you want to see this show.

I have big plans. These children will do activities, and I will get to tag along and get better at things. It is going to be awesome.